


Mystery Dungeon: Another Story

by lycanicNovelist, Snowish



Category: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-08-13 22:24:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7988308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lycanicNovelist/pseuds/lycanicNovelist, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowish/pseuds/Snowish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Was there more to Dusknoir than just "A bad ghost who worked for Primal Dialga?" Who were the Sableye before they joined up with him? </p><p>When the world becomes threatened by Darkrai's scheme to paralyze the planet, it's up to Team Tao to save the day. But they aren't the only ones in the spotlight. </p><p>This story covers a deviation from the main plot of PMD2 in order to give Dusknoir and the Sableyes more characterization. Details are changed and some things entirely new are put in, but it still follows the main story as a whole.</p><p>Written by Snowish and lycanicNovelist! Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mapmaking and Fortune-Telling

Seven figures were gathered in the clearing, ignoring how gloomy the atmosphere was. While the smaller six were in a group, mumbling among themselves, the larger one was off to one side, scribbling something down on a piece of paper.

"Why's he do that?" One voice snapped. "It just wastes time!" This gripe was met with a shove to the shoulder. The attacker shot a cold look at the complainer before explaining.

"He's gotta keep up appearances, remember, Reyna? Can't say he's a mapmaker if he doesn't make any maps!" Reyna, an oddly pink Sableye with acid green eyes and a sea-green chest gem, rolled her eyes and folded her arms. She looked to the small group, who were also Sableye. For members of the same species, they sure looked different.

For starters, there was Peridot. He was the easiest to pick out from the group because of the bright green scarf he always had on. His sky blue eyes, matching the gem on his chest, reflected what little light the area had, but he avoided Reyna's gaze. She slid her focus to the next one in line.

Beside Peridot sat Fitz, Reyna's younger brother. While the rest of the Sableyes were varying shades of purple (Reyna always claimed she was purple, it was simply hard to see without something to compare it to), Fitz was stark white with bright red gems. This was because he was albino, something even rarer than being a shiny Pokemon. Albinos were sensitive to light, but since Sableyes were both ghost and dark, avoiding it wasn't really a problem for him.

"I understand that, but I don't like the feel of this place..." The largest of the group groaned. The Sableye speaking now was Malum, one with a purple color so dark, it looked almost black. He also had red eyes, but not as bright as Fitz's. "Ever since we arrived, I've had the feeling of... A stronger ghostly presence. Even stronger than Dusknoir."

The last two Sableyes scoffed in unison at this. One was Lyla, who had been the one to push Reyna. Her skin was a pale purple, and she almost always wore her signature goggles on top of her head. Her eyes were rather unique, with her right one being pale blue and the left being pale green. She generally had a bad attitude, so it wasn't surprising she didn't believe Malum.

Damian, the last Sableye and probably the one who seemed typical and bland compared to the rest, shook his head.

"Y'know how Lord Dusknoir gets. He doesn't want us interrupting his work. Besides, he could probably take on anything that gets in our way!"

"Sometimes I wonder why Dusknoir puts you in charge of all of us," Malum sighed, thought he was grinning. "Now I realize it's because you're such a kiss-ass."

"I'M NOT A KISS-ASS!" Damian snarled, stomping his foot. "But I'm not gonna bother him over every single bug that crawls down my neck or pinecone that hits me in the head!"

"Well I am." Malum said simply, getting up. Damian tried to stop him, but quickly decided he would let the other Sableye get chewed out. It would serve him right for bothering their boss.

“Boss, we really should get going,” Malum said through clenched teeth as he approached Dusknoir. Not much put him on edge, but he seemed rather agitated, for once. “Whatever I’m sensing is getting… Closer."

"We aren’t finished here, Malum,“ Dusknoir said, looking around. "Whatever you are sensing, we can handle. Besides, I sense nothing. You are just being paranoid.”

Malum glared at Dusknoir for a moment, one of his many minor acts of defiance. The other Sableye wouldn’t have dared to give the larger ghost such a look.

“Sir,” He said, with a noticeably forced politeness. “It is not my fault you cannot sense it. However, there are other signs. The will-o-wisps, for example.” He had only just noticed them himself, but didn’t feel the need to admit that. As the two argued, several small orange flames began to fade into view. The group of Sableye seemed to notice them too, and bunched up in apprehension.

Dusknoir huffed, giving the flames only a moment’s glance. They were just will-o-wisps, for Arceus’ sake. Lots of ghosts made them. One of the other Sableyes could just be producing them as part of some prank…

“Malum, I–” He began, but a high-pitched cackle cut him off. Suddenly, all the wisps began to form together. As a wisp was added to the group, the bright flame grew in intensity. Everyone had to shield their eyes as more and more wisps collected.

 _“Silly, silly! You should learn to listen to your subordinates once in a while!”_ A melodic voice said from the bright ball of flames. It quickly switched from a bright yellow to a soothing orange. Not long after, a figure appeared in place of the light.

“It’s been a _looooooonnngg_ time since somebody summoned me, the Prophet of Phoenixes!” A shiny Chandelure bobbed in the air, looking very gleeful. He looked at Dusknoir and Malum, the two closest to him, then at the Sableye group a few meters away. He flashed a wide grin, but otherwise said nothing more.

"U-Uhm..." Malum tried to find his voice, but with the sudden appearance, his composure was lost. Dusknoir, however, skillfully took hold of the situation. He was never one to miss a beat.

"Greetings, sir." He said, trying to seem calm and welcoming. "I am Dusknoir. There are my... assistants. We were simply doing a bit of research in this area, as well as planning out a map. There's a dungeon entrance nearby, and some would like to know how to get to it. This place is called Chandelier Clearing, so... Would you happen to have anything to do with it?"

The Chandelure shook his metallic arms, generating a tinkling sound. He looked very pleased with himself.

“No need to call me ‘Sir!’ My name is Phantasia! I was a big deal a few hundred years ago, so it's no wonder this place was named in my honor!!” The fiery ghost gave a quick twirl, scattering sparks everywhere. “And that ‘Prophet of Phoenixes’ title is exactly why! I used to be close to Moltres and Ho-Oh, and would help the poor, primitive Pokemon plan their farming days so they wouldn’t experience the harsh droughts my superiors brought!”

He took a big breath, waving his arms about.

“But! Just because I had a little insight as to what certain legendaries were doing doesn’t mean I don’t have a few psychic powers of my own… I am actually quite good at reading fortunes and giving people warnings about their future!" He cackled again.

Malum squinted at the shining ghost, not really convinced.

"I dunno, boss. Do you think that's right? I mean, working with legendaries..."

Dusknoir was silent for a moment, thinking things over in his head. He had done a lot of research, but...

"I'm afraid I can't confirm or deny it. I never really focused on any of the legendary birds in my studies. But it's not unheard of for mortals to act as messengers for them... Sometimes they're even granted things like an extended lifespan."

"Well, such was not the case for me... Seems I wasted away, right here... Boo hoo..." Phantasia pouted for a second, but was then back to his smiling self. "But, now that I'm awake, I can put my abilities back into practice again! Would any of you be willing to listen to a fortune or something from your future? Please? Just a quick little test to stretch my psychic muscles!"

None of the other ghosts said anything, not quite sure how to respond. Phantasia tried to make it seem like he was considering all of them to be his guinea pig, but he knew with certainty that he wanted Dusknoir to volunteer. That's why, when Lyla walked up to him, his nonexistent heart skipped a beat.

“Boss, let me at this guy, he’s getting on my nerves,” she growled, pulling her goggles over her eyes. This meant she was ready for a scuffle. Dusknoir put a hand on her shoulder, a sign that said ‘no.’

“We don’t have to resort to violence,” Dusknoir stated, before turning back to the Chandelure. “If you really want to, then you may go ahead and try it on me. We're just very wary at this sudden appearance, so I apologize. How about you look into my future?"

"Quite alright, quite alright!" Phantasia chuckled, waving his arms again. "Then give me just a second..." Without a moment's hesitation, Phantasia began to glow a bright blue. He suddenly stared off into space, looking at what Dusknoir had in store.

After a few silent minutes, he stopped glowing and blinked.

"Somebody from your future wants me to give you a message. It's a very important message, too! Would you like to hear it?"

"Stop wasting time and say it already!" Reyna scoffed, but Dusknoir and Phantasia ignored her.

“Is that so?” Dusknoir’s posture became more calm and refined, but he did not drop his guard. The Sableye were getting restless. If something didn’t happen soon, they might attack without warning.

“Well, if you have a message for us, then we would be happy to hear it.” “

Mmm, very well!” Phantasia clapped his limbs together happily. “How did it go… Hmm… Oh, that’s right!" His bulbous head suddenly darkened, and he spoke in an entirely different voice. The voice was distorted, and hard to describe.

_**"'I didn’t think you were up to it, but you managed to save her in your own twisted way. But. They’re still out there. And if you think you can step one foot out of line. I will find them. And make their lives a living hell.“** _

After a moment of silence, Phantasia’s face lit up again, and he grinned at the ghosts.

"Well, how was that? Not bad for the first time in a few hundred years, right?" He giggled for a bit, not even paying any attention to the ghosts' reactions.

Dusknoir froze as Phantasia had talked. What he said… it couldn’t be true, There was no way… But Dusknoir didn’t let it show. He resumed his calm demeanor, giving his equivalent of a smile to Phatasia.

“Is that all? Well, I appreciate the message… It was rather interesting."

“Sure, yeah, interesting. 'specially liked your dramatic flair. Can we please go now, boss?" Malum pressed. "You should be done with that map by now, and we gotta head to Treasure Town soon."

“Right. Of course. Forgive me.” Dusknoir bowed his head. "We’ll be taking our leave then…“ Dusknoir gestured to the Sablyeye, ordering them to move out. The filed into a line and allowed him to pass first.

A few minutes passed as they all walked in silence, leaving the Chandelure behind, but Damian eventually lagged behind so he was walking beside Dusknoir.

"Sir?” Damian whispered, keeping his eye on the group ahead. “What did he mean by that? You looked pretty chilled when he said that stuff."

Of course Damian would realize it. Damian was Dusknoir's go-to Sableye, so he obviously knew how the larger ghost felt, no matter how good he was at masking his feelings.

“Nothing important,” Dusknoir said. “Nothing important…”

 

 

But, like many things said that evening… That was a lie.


	2. Meetings and Memories

After a few hours of walking, the ghosts stopped to gather their thoughts and get on with their work.

“Peridot, I want you to go with Fitz to Alistair’s guild. Give him this,” Dusknoir passed the map he had finished to the scarved Sableye, who nodded. Before he could leave, however, Dusknoir halted him. 

“Keep an eye out for their apprentices. Let me know if any of them seem… Off.” He added mysteriously. This earned an odd look from Fitz, but Peridot knew not to question it. Whatever Dusknoir was planning was none of their business. The two Sableye quickly took off.

"You four,” Dusknoir turned to Malum, Damian, Reyna, and Lyla. “Are to remain unseen during our visit. Is that clear?”

The four Sableyes saluted to their boss, and faded into the shadows; he could hear a shuffling as they shifted between hiding spots, so they could get a good look around, while still being within range to hear Dusknoir.

This was typical for them. Though Dusknoir was known for being a skilled explorer, nobody knew he had the Sableye assistants (except for Alistar, but then again he only knew of Fitz and Peridot), and many Pokemon felt great unease when a group of ghosts started to hang out together.

Once Dusknoir was sure the Sableye had settled, he set off for Treasure Town. It wasn’t too far–Just a few miles to the west. He would be there before sundown. 

He tried to breeze through any dungeons that were in his way, but his mind was still stuck on what the Chandelure had said. How did he even know… ? If that ghost was sleeping for centuries, how did he know about something that had happened a decade ago?

 _It was a warning from the future,_ though. He reminded himself. _But... It was so oddly specific. It sounded more like a message._

There was only one person that Dusknoir could think of who would manage such a confusing scenario like this: Primal Dialga. While the dragon was prone to violent tantrums, he still had his glimmers of genius. He didn't want to consider the possibility, but-

Before he knew it, he was standing at the crossroads. The area around him was tinged with gold from the sunset, and he could hear the waves coming from the nearby shore. He stood in silence for a few moments, before a voice called to him from his right.

“Dusknoir!! What a pleasant surprise!”

On the steps that led up a steep slope stood the familiar pink figure of Guildmaster Wigglytuff.

“I see I picked the right time to come visiting.” Dusknoir said, putting as much cheer into his voice as he could manage. He then looked at the two figures behind Wigglytuff. “Oh? And who are these two?”

“Oh, these are our new apprentices!” Wigglytuff stepped aside to reveal them; a Cleffa and a Zorua, both wearing bows. “Yin, Luna, introduce yourselves!”

The Cleffa stepped forward and did a stubby-legged curtsy. “Hello! My name is Luna!” She glanced at her companion, and nodded encouragingly.

The Zorua lifted her head momentarily and gave a quick nod in greeting. She then turned away, ears folding back. Apparently she was not up for speaking.

“Ah, well hello there.” Dusknoir greeted, moving a bit closer to the group. “I’m Dusknoir, an old friend of Wigglytuff’s.” He held out a hand, as if to shake.

Yin blinked at the gesture and raised a paw uncertainly, then looked to Luna. It was obvious she didn’t want to shake his hand without Luna doing the same. His hand was certainly big enough for both her paw and Luna’s…

As if sensing her hesitance, Luna raised her own paw and placed it in Dusknoir’s hand, waiting for Yin to do the same, When she did, they shook his hand gently.  "It’s very nice to meet you, Dusknoir, sir,“ Luna said sweetly.

"Wonderful!” Wigglytuff exclaimed, dancing a little on the spot. “I’m so glad you could all get acquainted!”

“We’re um, going off on a mission now, so–” Yin began, but her eyes grew wide. She and Luna, still holding hands with Dusknoir, seemed to fall under the same sort of spell, and both of them went unnaturally still. 

Dusknoir felt a jolt go through his body, and he could see their eyes were somewhere else. This was very odd behavior…

 

A moment passed, and the girls seemed to snap out of their trance. The exchanged a brief look before trying to seem as if nothing had happened.

“S-Sorry. Um, anyway. Mission. Better go now if we wanna get back before night, huh?” Yin asked this question more so to Luna, and began to walk past Dusknoir.

“Y-yeah! You’re right! Nice to meet you, sir, but we have to go!” Luna, in an uncharacteristic bout of nerves, hurried past Dusknoir as well, catching up to her partner.

“They must be eager!” Wigglytuff said, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. “Always have to be eager about guild work!”

Dusknoir made a noise in respsonse as he watched the two walk off, but didn’t question their actions any further. 

“That reminds me, Wigglytuff…” He began, his tone suddenly getting serious. The stout pink bundle of fluff fixed his eyes on Dusknoir, letting him know he was listening.

“Could you... do me a favor? Everyone that knows who I am. As in, knows that I come from this town… Can you get them to act as if I’ve never met them before?” He thought it must have been a really odd request, but… Wigglytuff was never one to question other people’s actions.

The fairy stared at Dusknoir for a moment, then gave his biggest smile yet. 

“I’ll see what I can do! Mind yourselves around the Kecleon brothers, though. They still love to gossip.” The Guildmaster gave a nod before hobbling off to the Town square. Dusknoir watched him go and sighed. Even after ten years, he hadn’t changed a bit.

 

His reminiscent thinking was broken off by the sound of squeals coming from the direction Luna and Yin had gone. He stared in astonishment as the two girls were running in terror from the wooded path, each pale in the face.

“What ever is the matter?” He cried, going up to the two when they had reached the safety of the crossroads. “You look like you’ve seen…” He realized ‘ghost’ probably wouldn’t have been the right word choice, so he elected for something else. “A monster.”

“Correction!” Luna gasped, holding a stitch in her side. “Monst _ers!”_ She looked to Yin, who seemed close to collapsing.

“About to enter dungeon…” Yin managed between gasps. “When four shadowy figures stepped out of the darkness! Their eyes… Glinting with evil!”

Dusknoir cursed angrily under his breath. He should have told those gremlins to stay out of trouble, too… 

He glanced at the sun, which was starting to droop below the ocean’s horizon. 

“It’s far too late to go out again.” He told the apprentices. “How about you call it a day. And if you think those creatures will still be there tomorrow, I’ll come with you as assistance.” He folded his arms and tried not to puff out with pride too much.

“W-Wow, really?? Gee, thanks Mr. Dusknoir!” Luna said weakly before having to sit down. She was not used to sprinting for so long.

 

\----

 

it wasn't long before night had fallen and everyone had gone to bed. That was what Dusknoir had been waiting for. He wanted to take a look around town without arousing too much suspicion... See how much everything had changed.

And so, with the sky a dark blue, Dusknoir hurried off into Treasure Town. The street, usually full of travelers and residents, was now quiet and empty.

Except for one particular stall.

 

“Dusknoir!!!” The purple lizard jumped up and down excitedly as he saw the ghost type approach. The older Kecleon brother had heard Wigglytuff mention that their old friend was back, but for some reason the ghost had not entered the town until well past sun-down. Red beamed and gestured for Dusknoir to come speak with him and his brother.

  
“Ah, Red; Green.” Dusknoir greeted the two. He hadn't expected them to be open this late, but the light to their stall was shining. The last he had seen them, they had only just started working full-time at their shop. It seemed that they had now managed to form a successful business, as what was once a small variety of berries and gravelrocks had evolved into a large assortment of TMs, food, and accessories.

“So, business been going well since I left?” Dusknoir asked with a small chuckle. “I saw that Wigglytuff founded that guild he had always dreamed of, so you probably have more than enough customers, huh?”

  
“He certainly did!” The younger brother said with a nod. “It’s great being an item shop, because we see just about every face that stops by! Not to mention we know everyone in the whole entire town. Helps news travel about really fast!”

  
“Hm, so I guess I’ll know who to blame when everyone in town starts looking for me in the morning.” Dusknoir had a humorous glint in his eye. The two brothers were notorious gossipers, and he was sure that everyone in Treasure Town knew he was here because of them, despite what Wigglytuff was supposed to tell them.

  
“Ahaha, on the nose as always, old pal!” Red sighed. “Everyone seemed surprised to hear you were back. Especially Chansey. She didn’t think you’d ever come back.” The Kecleon put a claw to his chin and tilted his head.

“But Marowak and Duskull–You know, son of Mismagius, the old banker?–They said they wanted to see you at least once before you decided to take off again!”

  
If Dusknoir had a mouth, he would have frowned at that moment. He really didn’t want to have any big reunions. He was just here to gather some information and find somebody, and that was it. Luckily, he had met who he was looking for earlier, and a lot faster than he had anticipated. But he still needed to poke around for a bit longer…

“Well, you can tell them that I would have liked to, but I’m strapped for time, as it were.” He sighed. “I’m doing some research for my next mission. Some people are saying they want the path to Foggy Forest mapped! Why do I have a feeling it has something to do with that expedition the guild took a few weeks ago?” Dusknoir tilted his head. Luna and Yin had said they had a successful expedition to the forest, but would not say anything more than that. He didn’t expect them to, however. He already knew what was hidden there.

  
“Your guess is as good as mine, Dusky–” Red started, but suddenly covered his mouth, his face going pale. He looked at Dusknoir, expecting some sort of explosive reaction.

 

  
Dusknoir’s heart (if he had one) had skipped a beat when Red had called him by that nickname. It suddenly felt like everything had frozen in time. He hadn’t heard the nickname in over a decade. Obviously, even after all these years, Red and Green still felt comfortable. Then why didn’t Dusknoir? Everyone had probably already moved on and forgotten what had happened. But the old ghost was suddenly aware of the cold feeling in his chest he had been ignoring ever since he arrived.

  
Luckily, Green noticed somebody. He tapped his older brother on the shoulder and pointed a bit down the road, whispering something in the other’s ear. Red snapped to attention, looking a little flushed, and then switched positions with his younger brother.

  
Dusknoir turned to see what the fuss was about, and noticed a pair of glowing yellow eyes approaching the group. He hadn’t realized how dark it had gotten until the eyes got closer, illuminating the form of a Gourgeist.

 

"Oh, hello there, Elise!" Green said with a friendly wave. Red managed one too, but he seemed to be hiding behind his younger brother. "You're luckly you came when you did! We were just about to close up!"

"Good evening." Came the Gourgeist's somber reply. She looked upset about something, but Dusknoir assumed that was just how she always looked. 

"At least, we were... Until Dusknoir showed up!" Green gestured to Dusknoir, catching him a bit off-guard.

"Oh, am I interrupting your closing? I shouldn't keep you up if it's going to affect your business-" Green immediately cut him off.

"No-no-no!" He waved his hands quickly. "It's always nice talking to an old friend! Besides, we weren't really expecting Elise to come tonight. She tends to show up randomly."

Elise raised an eyebrow. "Oh, do you three know each other?" She asked, looking between them.

"Yes, we've known each other since we were kids!" Red chipped in, getting over his previous shyness.

"Green, Red, please-" Dusknoir said, but to no avail.

"He used to live here, you know!" Green said, catching Elise's attention. "Until about a decade ago, that is. Something happened, and I don't blame him for moving away."

"What happened?" Elise asked, perking up a bit. 

"Oh, it was just awful!" Red cried, covering his face.

"Red. Green. Stop talking." Dusknoir growled. However, the brothers didn't seem to hear him.

"His wife was killed by a pack of Zangoose!" The two said in perfect unison. They had a habit of talking at the same time during critical moments.

"Oh, that sounds horrible!" Elise cried, finally showing a bit of emotion in her voice.

At this Dusknoir slammed his fist down on the stall's counter, getting the attention of the other three.

"That. _Is_. _**Enough**_." He said in a low voice.

It took a moment for the brothers to register just what they had done. Once they realized it, however, they flinched and quailed. 

"W-Were's sorry, Dusknoir!" Red cried, his voice coming out squeaky.

"We thought, w-well, since you're back in t-town and all-" Green attempted to explain, but Dusknoir wouldn't let him. Before the brothers could say another word, he turned from the stall and stormed back towards the crossroads. 

Elise reached out with one of her pseudo arms and tried to call him back, but Green shook his head.

"Let him go, Elise. It's our fault. We're such blabbermouths." He sighed.

"It's my fault for prying..." Elise replied, trying to make them feel better. "But... Can I at least get what I came for?"

"Oh, right, your gummis, sorry!" Red grabbed something from under the counter and slid it over to Elise. It was a dark grey pouch containing various little gummis, a popular treat among all Pokemon. 

"Thank you. Good night." 

\-----

Meanwhile, Dusknoir was over his initial rage. Being back in town... Hearing that strange message... Being reminded of why he left in the first place... It all came crashing down on him. He didn't want to revisit any of those memories, as comforting as they tried to be. He knew in the end they would only make him feel worse.

But in the end, he was powerless. His heart won over, and he began to reminisce.


	3. Frustrations and Futility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for some memories!

“Pardon?” Duskull interrupted the Kirlia’s rant. “From what Jigglypuff has told me, you’ve only been in this group for two days yourself.” He stared at her, determined not to let her stomp him flat. 

Duskull had only been in Treasure Town for a week, but he knew almost all of the children by now. It didn’t surprise him that Budew, Skorupi, Chatot, and Cubone were part of this little group. But he had never seen this Kirlia around… Jigglypuff had warned him that she was rather… Unorthodox when it came to certain things.

“Like that matters! Cubone doesn’t have a partner! Why not pair _him_ up with skull-face over here?” She stuck her tongue out at Duskull.

“Lilith, I just thought it would be best! Psychic and Ghost-types can be good combos when used effectively! And since you know Disarming Voice, you can deal with any pesky dark-types that can give Duskull problems!” Jigglypuff, always the optimist, said calmly. Despite the quarrels the two Pokemon were having, he was grinning.

“Besides, Cubone isn’t here today…” He added, letting his smile drop ever-so-slightly. “He had to do chores for Makuhita.”

“Uggghhh, fine!” Lilith threw up her arms in defeat. “Just stay out of my way, got it?” She gave Duskull a cold look.

Duskull would have smirked, had he the mouth to do it. “But isn’t this little club supposed to prepare us for cooperation in teams? It isn’t called The Future Explorers for nothing, you know!

“Whatever!!” The Kirlia came close to roaring. She stomped her feet a few times for effect. “Jiggly, just tell us what the mission for today is!”

Jigglypuff gave a gentle smile and nodded. 

_“Alright, everyone! Let’s call this meeting of The Future Explorers to order!”_

_\-----_

“Aah, come on, Dusky! The sunset’ll be gone by the time you get here!”

The Gardevoir sat on the edge of Sharpedo Bluff, looking back towards the town. Her partner, Dusclops, was taking his time reaching her on purpose. He normally wasn’t one to act out, but he was in a sour mood. Today was a bit of a special day for him, and he had expected her, of all people, to take notice.

Once Dusclops had settled down next to her, Lilith turned towards the sunset, careful to shield her eyes from the bright light. The orange glow made everything seem warmer, even though the haze of summer had started to fade into the crisp of autumn.

  
“Lilith, I’m not really in the mood to watch the sunset today, can we just-”

  
 _“Ap-bup-bup!”_ Lilith interrupted. “We’re not leaving until you tell me what’s bothering you.”

Dusclops remained silent for a few seconds. He could have taken advantage of this moment and told her how disappointed he was, but was it worth it? After all, it was just a date that happened every year. It was petty of him to expect somebody to remember every single time.

“Lilith, don’t you think you’ve… Forgotten something today?”

  
“Forgotten something…” She put a hand to her chin and thought for a moment. “Well, I did forget to buy an escape orb like you told me to! We had to tough it through that dungeon today, didn’t we?”

  
“I mean something else.” He huffed, feeling annoyed again.

  
“Not really… Let’s see… I brushed my teeth. Restocked our reviver seed supply… Put our Poké in the bank… No, I don’t think I forgot anything!” She shrugged, smiling at him.

This was the final straw for Dusclops.

  
“I didn’t expect you to remember. Sometimes that personality of yours gets in the way of things, you know.” He scoffed, standing up and starting to walk away.

  
Lilith frowned and glared after him

“Hey, if I’m forgetting something important, just let me know! No need to act like a baby about it!”

  
“Don’t you know what today is? It’s my _birthday!”_

  
Lilith stared at him for a moment, looking absolutely befuddled. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she let out a yelp.

_“I TOTALLY DID FORGET! I THOUGHT IT WAS A WEEK FROM NOW!”_

She immediately began to dig in the item bag that always hung at her side. It was now Dusknoir’s turn to be confused. He hadn’t expected such a reaction from her, so most of his anger had suddenly diffused.

“Here,” She managed, bowing her head and producing a small purple package. “I was going to give it to you on the big day, but… I guess that’s today.”

  
Dusclops blinked at the package before gently taking it from her hands. It seems to be wrapped very carefully, even having a hand-tied bow. Dusclops undid the wrappings on the package, revealing a box. Upon opening it, he went still.

“Your… Reaper Cloth?” He asked, looking up at her. He didn’t realize it until now, but the purple scarf usually tied around her neck was missing.

  
“Y-Yeah.” She said timidly with a faint smile. “I know I teased you with it a bunch, but… I really have no use for it. Besides, you’re my boyfriend! It wouldn’t be fair if I were fully-evolved and you weren’t as well.”

  
“I… I don’t know what to say.” Dusclops admitted. He knew this Reaper Cloth meant a lot to her. It was one of the only things she had left of her missing mother.

  
“How about, _‘Thanks so much, Lilith! Once I evolve into a Dusknoir, I’ll be sure to marry you and invite all of Treasure Town to the wedding!’_ ” Lilith said, giggling, before Dusclops shot a curious look at her.

  
“Perhaps not that…” He managed, but he too was chuckling. “But what do you say we go out looking for a Link Cable tomorrow? That’s all we need to complete the process.”

  
“Wait, you need _TWO_ items to evolve?!” Lilith said in surprise, making Dusclops chuckle even more.

\-----

It had taken a lot of focus for Dusknoir to remember those two events. His first meeting with Lilith, and then when she gave him her Reaper Cloth... 

But whenever he remembered anything nice... _that_ came to rear its head, and so did all the guilt and sorrow that came with it.

\-----

_**I̧T̶̀͢ ̷̀͟I͞S ̕TIM̸̕E҉.̢͟** _

  
_**D́O̵̕ ̢Ǹ̡͠ƠT̷͘ ̨̨͢F̕͝A͝҉͘I͡L ͢͜M̕͞E҉̡͞.́** _

That was the last thing Dusknoir heard before he felt the familiar sensation of being pulled through time.

—

Dusknoir blinked slowly. He was unused to the brightness. Where was he? Obviously not in the future. A gentle breeze swept against his shoulders. A jolt arced through his body as he realized he was back in the past. His eye finally used to the bright light, he could see the crossroads under his body. He was back home. In Treasure Town. He shuddered with relief, and almost collapsed where he stood, but a thought kept him up.

_Lilith._

Where was she? Was he back in his time? Or was he long before or after it? He had to find out. no matter what Dialga threatened, he needed to see her again.

Once he had collected himself, he floated into town. He could hear the bustle of its residents as they walked about and did their errands. It was calming to him. Pretty soon, he could see the Pokemon that inhabited the small town. As far as he could tell, not a day had passed since he had been pulled from his time. He could see the Kecleon brothers, Electabuzz’s link shop…

Nothing had changed. Could it be possible that it had only been a day at the most? Perhaps he could say he had gone exploring… If anyone asked.

As he moved further in, the chatter of the townsfolk began to quiet down. Several eyes fixed themselves on Dusknoir, and he could even sense a few ugly looks in his direction. What in the world was their problem? Why was he being judged like this? He couldn’t help but want to sink into the ground. He had never experienced such animosity… Let alone silently.

Before long, everyone who had been walking about to shop or talking with friend had stopped. The crowd formed a barrier between Dusknoir and the crossroads. Whatever he was about to face, it did not seem good. Dusknoir carefully made his way over to the Kecleon brothers, who seemed to be the only ones looking at him with sympathy. Red and Green exchanged looks between themselves, before reluctantly turning to greet him.

“You’re back.” Was all Green managed to say. “Welcome back… I guess.” He mumbled. He kept glancing down the road, as if expecting something to come charging their way any second.

“What even happened?” Red tilted his head, looking a bit more concerned than his younger brother. “Not even difficult missions take so long!"

Dusknoir felt a weight fall in his stomach. So he had been gone for a while. So that explained why everyone was looking at him. But why the looks of disgust? Had something happened?

"I-I…” He began, trying to formulate an alibi. Dialga’s warning was still rather fresh in his mind. If he told anyone… There’s no telling what would happen. Did he really wish to endanger everybody? No, he thought. I cannot. I have to keep everyone safe, if even for just a little while.

“Lilith was so devastated!” Green suddenly chirped. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so distraught. Chansey’s tried to keep her in bed, but she can’t do anything more than tag along. Lilith really doesn’t want to sit still.” He wrung his clawed hands nervously. “I don’t think it’s wise to just be strolling about, Dusknoir. You should think of something before Lilith–"

"A little too late for that.” Red interrupted. He pointed back down the path Dusknoir had come from. The crowd had parted to let a Gardevoir pass through, and Dusknoir found himself frozen in place with shame. He couldn’t bring himself to look into her eyes.

Lilith stood, slightly hunched, and simply stared at Dusknoir. Her hair was messier than it usually was, and her face was flushed and tear-stained. There was a fierce intensity in her gaze. She was angry, but trying not to make a scene in front of the crowd.

“A week…” She mumbled, folding her arms. “You were gone for a week. And you left without telling me.” She swayed at bit on her feet, but Chansey appeared and held her fast. Lilith wasn’t in the condition to be out and about. But it was obvious she wanted to confront Dusknoir.

“Lilith, I…” He began, but couldn’t think of what to say. I’m sorry I got pulled away from time and forced to work for an insane dragon? I’m sorry that while you experienced only a week without me, I experienced several years? He finally looked straight at her, but immediately regretted it. He had never seen her so furious. Gone was her bubbly, reckless smile. This was an entirely different creature. Yet it was still his wife. He had wronged her, and he had to make up for it. Even if it took forever.

He approached her carefully, arms raising slightly as if to reach out for her. Lilith tensed a bit, not sure how to respond.

Dusknoir was a yard away from her.

Two feet.

One foot.

He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, when–

_**SMACK!** _

A sharp pain blossomed on Dusknoir’s face, and he was stunned for a moment. Lilith had lashed out and slapped him. She stood still, breathing heavily, her arm still raised. She glared at him in silence for a few more moments.

Dusknoir didn’t even dare to breathe. He wasn’t sure what kind of response she wanted from him. Perhaps she didn’t want any response at all. Sometimes people just needed to vent their feelings, no words necessary. He absentmindedly reached up to rub the spot where Lilith had struck him.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again… Please…” Lilith said. This time her voice was mixed with a sob. She wobbled a bit more, and fell to her knees. Concern flared up in Dusknoir’s chest as he realized she looked much paler than she had moments before. He tried to approach her again, but Chansey pushed Lilith back up, already in doctor mode.

“Lilith, no more leaving your bed until I say so!” The pink Pokemon urged. She began to guide the Gardevoir back to the building that was part nursery and part hospital. Lilith put up little resistance, and she seemed ready to collapse any moment. The crowd parted again to let the two get through.

Dusknoir could only stare after them, not sure what to do. The crowd remained quiet, still staring at him, for several minutes. It was only when Dusknoir sunk to the ground from emotional exhaustion that they began to disperse.

He wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to apologize. But Dialga had made it perfectly clear that if Dusknoir did not do as he said, she would be hurt. He felt alone, not sure what to do. Tears began to form in his eye, all the feelings finally surfacing and combining into sniffles.

“Um, Dusknoir?” A voice broke into his thoughts, causing the ghost to stiffen in surprise. The Kecleon brothers appeared in his view, each of them looking extremely worried.

“Did something happen while I was gone?” He asked lightly, his voice finally breaking. “Lilith… She looked very weak. Is she alright?"

"Oh dear… He doesn’t know.” Red mumbled, covering his mouth and looking to Green. “He really doesn’t know."

"Know what?” Dusknoir’s tone became urgent. If he had not been there to help Lilith when he could have… If he had had a heart, its pace would have been lightning fast by now. Was she sick? In danger? What??

“Uh-uhm… Dusknoir…” Green began, wincing. “The day you disappeared… You remember Lilith had gone to do some errands, right?"

It had been so long to him… But…

"Faintly,” He said in response.

“Well, she decided to visit Chansey because she had been feeling sick.” Red continued. “And… Well… She got the news that…"

"Dusknoir, Lilith had eggs. Just the other day.” Green finished, looking frantic.

\---

The Kecleon brothers spent the good portion of an hour consoling Dusknoir. They explained that he had disappeared a little bit over a week ago, with no sign of where he had gone. Lilith had visited Chansey and gotten the news that she would have eggs, but with Dusknoir gone, she began to get stressed. When she collapsed while walking down the road one day, it was then that Chansey insisted she be admitted into her nursery.

Lilith’s condition hadn’t deteriorated, but it didn’t improve, either. After three days in the nursery, she finally had two eggs. Chansey tried to keep her in bed, but Lilith insisted on going about, in case Dusknoir might come back.

Upon hearing this, Dusknoir could feel his heart shudder. He had not been there for her when she needed him the most. Did he really deserve to see her now? He spent a few minutes in contemplation. Green and Red stared at him, not sure what to do. Dusknoir wasn’t exactly a friend, but they didn’t want to deny him any assurance.

“I suppose I should… go to her. Isn’t that the right thing to do?” If Lilith had still been looking for him, then that meant she still wanted to see him, right? But knowing her, she was only going to berate him for leaving… He supposed he deserved it. Well, the reason for his disappearance was out of his control, but… Lilith deserved an explanation. It was the least he could do, before he… started his mission.

The two exchanged looks, communicating without opening their mouths. Finally, Red looked at Dusknoir and nodded.

“She’s been so stressed lately… Even if she was angry at first, she’s probably glad you’re back safely. I’m sure Chansey can give you some advice, too.” He cupped his chin in his hands. “Not sure what to do if things go south, though…"

"D-Dusknoir, can we at least ask you a question?” Green interjected, surprising Red. Apparently the younger brother had been thinking on his own.

“Why did you vanish for so long? Without even a note?” The chameleon tilted his head, looking rather confused. Even the most experienced explorers had ways of contacting others if their mission was going to take longer than expected.

“Ah, I…” He wasn’t expecting them to ask that. The ghost shifted uneasily, trying to come up with a feasible lie. “It was an accident, that I was gone for so long. I was merely going out to… Gather apples from Apple Woods, but things went awry. I took a wrong turn, and ended up lost for days. The good thing is that I was able to learn a few new shortcuts.” He tried to end with a little joke, hoping the two merchants would buy it. No one could prove him wrong, could they?

“I think I will go see Chansey, and see if she knows where Lilith is. Thank you both for your assurance, but I must be going.” He didn’t want them asking more questions that he couldn’t answer.

“Well, alright, then.” Green replied, sounding convinced. “Those woods are pretty easy to get lost in."

"I think it’s time to close up shop.” Red suddenly said, prodding his brother on the shoulder. The incident in the town had cleared the square of people, so it was unlikely the two would be getting any business for the rest of the day. The two brothers said goodbye to Dusknoir before heading back to their stall, packing up wares and drawing a cover over the counter window.

Relieved to be out of their presence, Dusknoir made his way to Chansey’s nursery, planning to tell her the same story if she asked. He drew back the curtain to her hut, looking into the semi-darkness, where several nests lay, some holding eggs, some with ill citizens.

 

“Chansey? Do you have a moment?” He wondered if any of the eggs in these nests were his, or if Lilith had them… He couldn’t think about that right now. He needed to find Lilith first, and Chansey would know- if she was willing to volunteer the information.

The pink nurse stood up from tending to a patient to give him a cold look. If there was one thing she didn’t like, it was parents who showed no respect for their children or spouses. Suddenly leaving when his wife was pregnant?–Dusknoir chose one of the worst things to do in Chansey’s book.

“What?” She said, not sounding aggressive, but with just enough edge in her voice to make it clear she was agitated.

“I just wanted to know if you knew where Lilith is,” Dusknoir said, registering her icy look. Clearly, he had to butter her up a bit. “I also wanted to come by and thank you for looking after my wife in my abscence. I know she must have been very well taken care of with you."

Now, he had to get to the point.

"I’d like to apologize to Lilith, for not being there for her when she needed me. I know it won’t excuse what I’ve done, but I do need to make amends."

Chansey was quiet for a few moments, staring straight at him. Either she was trying to figure out if she should help him out, or she was attempting to muster up the power of heat vision and burn a hole right through him.

Luckily, it was the former, as she quickly tucked the patient in and began walking down the hall.

"She’s further in the back. I think she went right to sleep when we got here, though. You can either wait until she wakes up or I can come get you in town when she does.” The look on her face made it clear that he should probably go with the first option so he looked like a better husband.

Dusknoir followed her down the hall, though at a distance. He wouldn’t put it past Chansey to hit him if he got too close.

“Of course I’ll stay with her and wait. Thank you, Chansey, I am in your debt.” When the approached Lilith, Dusknoir felt an overpowering sense of dread fall over him. Seeing her lying there, looking peaceful, sick but peaceful, just made him realize how bad his absence had affected her. And now, he had to… He didn’t want to think about it yet.

“The eggs are in that smaller bed over there,” Chansey said with a gesture, before heading back to the front of the building.

Lilith did not stir as her husband arrived, though she did look a bit better than before. Her face wasn’t flushed anymore, and Chansey had probably gone through her hair to make it a touch more tame.

In the cradle Chansey had pointed out, lay two eggs. One was dark grey with bone-white markings, while the other was white with a green and red top. They looked as peaceful as any eggs could look.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Lilith opened her eyes. She blinked slowly, trying to get rid of the sleepy haze, and turned to look at the eggs. She stopped, however, when her eyes fell on Dusknoir.

“Mmm, what are you doing here?” She groaned quietly, closing her eyes again and tilting her head towards the ceiling.

“Lilith, I…” Dusknoir started, but immediately trailed off. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say. She was obviously still in a sour mood, but he wanted to be clear that he was remorseful.

“Well?” She asked, a little more of a harsh tone entering her voice. Dusknoir was quiet for a few seconds, then carefully placed one of his hands on one of Lilith’s. She didn’t shake him off, which was a good sign.

“Lilith, I want to apologize for what I did.” He mumbled. “I had no right to put you in such a situation, especially without letting you know beforehand. If I had known I was going to get lost, I would have…"

He looked into her eyes, which seemed to burn into his with unbridled anger.

"I would have let you know. I am a horrible husband for leaving you in such a crucial time."

"You’re darn right you are!” Lilith sat up suddenly, taking her hand away.

“Dusky, when I heard the news from Chansey, I waited up the entire evening for you to come back. I wanted to tell you as soon as you got home. Those days without you… I was scared!” She began to shake a little, and her voice creaked as if she was close to tears.

“Not scared… _Terrified!_ What if something went wrong while you were gone? Wh-what if they didn’t make it?? Then what would I tell you? _‘Sorry Dusky! You were going to be a father, but because it’s my first time, I flubbed up and now you lost two children!’_ I didn’t WANT that!” Tears began to pour down her face, and her shaking became worse.

She was starting to sob now, but continued to speak. Dusknoir felt as if his body was being ripped into pieces. It was his fault that she felt like this.

 _“A-And Chansey was say-saying that getting str-stressed wo-wo-would only make things wor-worse! She to-told me to st-stay in bed, bu-but! I had to-to go out every d-day and check and s-se-see if you were b-back! It was on-only when I coll-collapsed in the mi-midd-middle of the town like an-an IDIOT that I st-stopped!_ "

Dusknoir could barely make sense of her words in between her sniffles and sobs. What should he do? He needed to calm her down. To assure her things would be okay.

Suddenly, he reached over and wrapped his arms around her. Lilith stopped talking, but her tremors continued, letting out a sniffle every now and then. Dusknoir began to slowly rock her back and forth, saying nothing.

As the minutes passed by, Lilith’s breathing slowed, and her shaking ceased. Even then, Dusknoir did not let her go. He simply stayed there and looked at her with a questioning expression.

Lilith rubbed her face before looking at him, a look of pure exhaustion hanging on to her.

"But you know… Now that you’re back…” She began, sounding much calmer. “You’re not just a horrible husband. You’re a horrible father too."

She gave a weak chuckle before lowering her head and closing her eyes. It wasn’t long before her breathing became shallow, and she was softly snoring. It must have taken a lot of energy to let all that emotion out.

Dusknoir carefully let her go and placed her down on the bed, making sure she was tucked in.

"Just in time. Visiting hours are over.” Chansey’s voice stirred Dusknoir from his relief as the pink nurse came hobbling towards them. "I think you can go now.“ Chansey seemed to be in a much better mood than earlier.

Perhaps she was glad the two had finally made amends. She took Dusknoir’s hand and began to guide him back to the entrance, but the ghost hesitated.

"Are you sure?” He asked, glancing back at Lilith. Now that she wasn’t hostile towards him, he felt reluctant to leave her side. What if she woke up and he wasn’t there? Chansey seemed to be aware of his suspicions, and she shook her head.

“If Lilith seems uneasy, I’ll let her know you went back home. With a little bit of rest, she should be ready to head back in just a couple of days."

Dusknoir nodded at this, but he felt a feeling of dread hang over him. He wouldn’t be able to stay here for very long. Hell, he had probably been sent back here to cut ties before he moved on with his mission. How would Lilith react if he were to suddenly vanish again?

Even if he told her, she wouldn’t take it well. She was in such a weak state after giving birth, there was no way he would be able to explain it to her and have her understand.

"Thank you again, Chansey.” Dusknoir said softly. As Chansey turned back to check on other patients, he glided carefully out the door and into the streets of Treasure Town. The sun was starting to hit the edge of the ocean, turning it an odd crimson color.

Dusknoir stared at the sunset for a few more minutes, thinking over his options. He could do his best to try and turn against Primal Dialga, but what good would that do? No matter where he hid his family, Primal Dialga would find them with his power over time. Not to mention the dragon could simply pull him back out of the past for even longer than just a week.

What else was there to do? He needed to figure out some way to have an excuse to leave Treasure Town indefinitely, as well as leave Lilith…

Then, he felt a cold feeling creep up his back. He remembered this sensation, and every time it made him sick. In the future, it happened whenever he made a decision that he would have otherwise been violently against.

 _If that is… My only choice…_ He thought, realizing how powerless he truly was.

\--------

Footsteps broke him from his train of thought, for which he was secretly grateful. As painful as that experience had been, it was nothing compared to what happened afterward...

He looked over to the source of the sound and saw Elise walking down the road, holding a bundle. He quickly recognized it as a bag of gummis, as the Kecleon brothers actually offered bundles of different types. 

Desperate to get his mind off these memories, he decided to try and talk to Elise.


	4. Small Talk and Skulduggery

Elise placed her money on the counter and said goodnight to Red, who seemed to be avoiding her eyes. He always acted like that around her for some reason… But she didn’t question it. Many Pokemon were put off by her, especially when she appeared in the middle of the night.

She wrapped her arms carefully around the bundle and walked back the way she had come, which was also the direction Dusknoir had went. She hoped he wasn’t angry at her for pressing… She didn’t realize it was such a personal thing. Had she known beforehand, she would have stopped the brothers. But sometimes their mouths ran faster than their minds.

Chuckling at her thought, she stopped at the crossroads and peeked into her bag. Inside was an assortment of bright green and dark purple gummis, perfect for a Pokemon of her typing. She frowned, however, as she realized something was missing. This particular bag was supposed to be made up of ‘Dark Forest Gummis,’ a selection that had Grass, Purple, and Gold gummis in it. Why were the Gold gummis gone?

“Red and Green take care to make sure their customers are satisfied.” A voice broke into Elise’s thoughts, almost making her jump. When she turned to see who had spoken, she spotted Dusknoir, sitting in the shade of a tree. He looked tired compared to how he had been just moments ago.

  
“They made sure it was only gummis you would like, correct?” He asked, not moving from his spot. Elise stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly.

  
“Y-Yeah… But I would have preferred they left the Gold gummis in… I suppose it’s not big deal, though.” She mumbled, closing the bag.

  
“Why do you care about the Gold Gummis being in there?” Dusknoir asked, sitting up a little. “After all, given your type…”

  
“It’s nothing, really. I suppose I just like the way they all look together.” She answered quickly. She rocked back and forth on the little stubs she used as feet for a moment before speaking again.

“Listen, I want to apologize for being so nosy earlier… I didn’t realize–”

  
Dusknoir raised a hand to stop her.

“It’s no big deal.” He said, even though his weakened state proved otherwise. “Those brothers… They simply don’t know the meaning of ‘oversharing’ is all. And it’s not like something like that would remain secret for long. I suppose some of the veterans in this town will eventually spread my story to the young ones.” He stared off into the open air, looking a little sad.

  
Elise wasn’t sure what to say in response. It was getting late, and she knew eventually she would have to sleep, as much as she dreaded it. She felt some comfort in seeing the other ghost, however. She wasn’t sure why, but it felt nice to know another spirit was around.

“Oh, um, sir?” She finally said, eyes widening. “Don’t you have any place to rest for the night?” She didn’t think he looked very comfortable sitting there on the ground, but it wasn’t like she had any place to offer him… Hell, she slept in a tree most of the time…

  
“I’ll be fine.” He assured her. “Honestly, I don’t get much sleep these days. Either my work or my mind keeps me up… Luckily, ghosts can operate with less sleep than normal Pokemon can.”

  
Elise was about to say something in reply, when a burning scent entered her nose. She scrunched up her face and squinted, trying not to breathe in too much of it. Apparently Dusknoir had smelled it too, because his eye was narrowed and he was looking towards the eastern path of the crossroads. Listening carefully, Elise could hear laughter and voices come from the path.

  
“Chaw-haw-haw!” The large Skuntank rounded a corner and hobbled to the center of the crossroads. “Those two twerps will never find it!”

  
“Heh-heh-heh! Ya got that right, boss!” A Zubat fluttered in from behind, circling wildly around the Skuntank’s head.

  
“Whoa-ho-ho!” A Koffin joined his companions, cackling as loud as the other two. “Let’s see those two make it all the way there. I doubt it! And even if they did, they’ll be zapped to ashes!”

  
“Serves ‘em right. Thinkin’ they can tell us what to do! Goody-two-shoes like that deserve what Team Skull dishes out!” The Skuntank burst into another round of laughter, and the Zubat and Koffing joined him.

  
Elise wasn’t really sure what to make of the scene. The stench made her eyes water, and she was starting to feel light-headed. What were these three even talking about? Apparently, they were an exploration team, according to what they said. Team Skull, was it?

  
“Oh, hey, lookie!” Zubat finally stopped his laughter and turned towards the two ghosts. “Looks like we got ourselves some bystanders, Skuntank! And I betcha they heard everything we said!”

  
“Chaw-haw-haw! Is that so? Well, hows about we make sure they keep their mouth shut, huh?”

  
“But boss!” Koffing snorted, looking straight at Dusknoir. “One of these guys doesn’t have a mouth!”

At this response, Skuntank took a moment to look Dusknoir over.

  
“Well, whaddya know? So he doesn’t! Doesn’t mean we can’t knock some sense into ‘im!”

  
“And boss! That girlie there is carrying something! Something that smells like food! Can we grab a snack while we’re at it?”

  
“Sure! Now let’s stop yappin’ and pummel these guys. I’ll take Mr. No-Mouth!” Skuntank said, charging forwards. He went straight for Dusknoir, while Zubat and Koffing rushed towards Elise.

  
Elise panicked and did the only thing she could think of: Run. She took off South towards the beach, clutching her bag of gummis close, but Zubat and Koffing continued to pursue her.

Elise couldn’t hear what was happening with Skuntank and Dusknoir, and she was already too far to turn back and check. She turned around and launched a Shadow Ball towards the two chasing her, but they dodged it easily.

  
“Aw, come on, all we want is yer food!” Zubat cried before opening his mouth and emitting a loud screech.

  
Elise cried out as the sound hit her ears. The noise was so loud and ear-grating, she dropped her bag and stumbled face-down into the sand. She thought she could faintly hear Zubat and Koffing scuffle over the bag, but her ears were ringing too much for her to be sure. With a lot of effort, she heaved herself up so she could see what was happening.

Zubat had taken hold of the bag. It was hanging out of his mouth, and he was doing the best he could to stay in the air while carrying it. Apparently it was just a bit too heavy for him.

“Give that back!” She cried, finally managing to stand up. She fired another Shadow Ball, but Koffing spat a hunk of steaming liquid at the attack, making it burst into smoke in the air.

  
“Nice try, girlie! But you’ll have to do better than that!” He spat another glob of poison at Elise, which hit her directly in the face.

  
She wailed as the poison burned her. Being a grass-type, she was sensitive to attacks such as these. Elise managed to wipe most of it off so she could see, and by then, Koffing and Zubat were already hurrying up the path back to the crossroads.

What they didn’t notice, however, was a dark blot on the ground, much darker than the area around it. Elise thought it looked like a condensed shadow before realizing that that was what it actually was.

  
As soon as the two lackeys passed over him, Dusknoir sprang up from his Shadow Sneak attack. He grabbed Koffing and Zubat and held them tight, their struggling no match for his strength.

Elise hurried over to the three, just in time to hear Dusknoir speak in a calm voice that did not match his livid expression.

“…And I suggest you give this woman her bag back, before I am forced to take drastic measures.” He looked at the two thieves in turn before letting them go, his intense gaze fastened to them.

  
“Cripes, we’re sorry!!” Koffing spluttered, obviously horrified as he backed away from Dusknoir.

Zubat quickly tossed the bag back to Elise, who caught it in her hands.

  
“We’ll leave ya alone, we swear!! Just don’t hurt us!!” He flapped his wings at a nervous pace, not caring that he was flopping about awkwardly.

  
“You’d better.” Dusknoir replied. “Now, I left your leader back at the crossroads. Aside from a nasty bump on the head, he’s fine. But you three better be gone by the time I get back there. Understand?”

Without even saying anything, Zubat and Koffing hurried off to retrieve Skuntank. Elise stared after them for a moment before turning back to Dusknoir, a little concerned. She hadn’t expected that kind of intensity from him…

“Are you alright?” He asked, suddenly sounding more concerned than angry. “Those ruffians didn’t hurt you, did they? If there’s one thing I find unforgivable, it’s attacking the innocent.”

  
“I got hit with a Sludge… But otherwise, I’m fine. You really don’t have to worry about me.” She assured him. “What about you? Did Skuntank give you any trouble?”

  
“Of course not.” He answered, folding his arms. “I’m much stronger than I let on.”

He suddenly yawned, which made Elise giggle. So much for seeming like a tough guy.

  
“Seems like we’re both pretty tired. I have to head home now, actually.” She said quietly. “Be sure to get some rest, okay? Ghosts types may not need as much sleep as the living… But they still need some sleep, period.”

  
“Yes, yes, of course…” Dusknoir chuckled, waving her comments away. “Good night to you then, Elise.”

  
Elise bid Dusknoir good night as well before heading back in the direction of her home. Passing the crossroads, she could see that Team Skull had left, even though their scent still remained. Those three shouldn’t be causing any more trouble, she thought.

She proceeded to walk deep into the forest, not really caring where she ended up. She slept in trees, so almost any one would do, but there was a particular kind that she felt drawn to for some reason.

When she finally came across the first tree with long claw marks on its trunk, she was barely standing. She was too exhausted to climb up into its limbs and simply curled up at its foot.

Nestled between the roots, Elise quickly fell asleep. The buzzing thoughts of what had happened that evening were swept away by exhaustion and dreams. She didn’t even stir when a beam of moonlight broke through the leaves and shone on her head.


	5. Enigmas and Electricity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaand finally some following of the actual PMD2 story

_**“MR. WIGGLYTUUUUUUFFFFFF!!”** _ Came the Azurill’s young squeal as both he and his older brother hurried up the steps to the guild. Both blue rabbits looked frantic, not even caring as they tripped Diglett’s alarm. By the time they had reached the bottom floor of the guild, everyone was out on the floor, wondering who had disturbed them all at such an early hour. 

The guild’s alarm was something that they didn’t hear very often, so, of course, the entire guild turned up to see what on earth was going on. Wigglytuff was at the front, wearing a very puzzled expression. What could have put the brothers in such terrible distress? It must have been something terrible, since Azurill looked close to tears. 

“What, what is it?” Wigglytuff questioned, wanting to find out their troubles, but not wanting them to be distressed any extra. “Don’t be afraid, we’ll help you out!" 

Azurill sniffled and twitched his ears, suddenly unable to speak, so Marill stepped forward to explain. 

"Our Water Float has gone missing! And… According to a note that was left… It’s been left in Amp Plains! I… I tried to get it earlier, but it’s an electric-type dungeon… I stood no chance." 

A hushed murmur went through the crowd; most of them knew about the brothers’ missing item, but to hear that it was in Amp Plains… That was an incredibly hostile place, and someone had to be really cruel to leave it there for the brothers to retrieve. 

"Can I see that note?” Wigglytuff took the note and read over it, his brow furrowing in deep thought. “Hmm…" 

His head suddenly snapped up, and he turned to face the guild members. "ALRIGHT! Everyone, listen up! We have to get the Water Float back!" 

The guild shouted their agreement, and whispers of a quick expedition ran through the crowd. 

"However, we can’t spare everyone to go retrieve it all together! Most of us have to stay here and perform our normal duties! Is there anyone who wishes to volunteer for this mission?" 

 

No one said a word. 

 

Yin, who was sitting in the back of the crowd with Luna, looked over to her teammate. They had helped Azurill and Marill out before. Besides, they were showing a lot of ability as explorers. Surely Amp Plains wasn’t that bad? 

"Well?” Yin asked tentatively, cocking an ear. 

Luna looked to her companion, smiling. “Well, what? You have that incredible sense of smell. We’d be able to find that item in no time!” The Cleffa winked, then raised her stubby arm up into the air, waving it around. 

“Guildmaster! Guildmaster! Team Tao volunteers to go to Amp Plains!” The crowd parted before them, revealing the oddly paired team. 

“Guildmaster, I don’t think our most junior members would be right for this mission. Perhaps you and I-?” Chatot started to intercede, but he was cut off by Wigglytuff. 

“Nonsense! Team Tao has shown incredible skill as a team! It’s decided, they will go to Amp Plains, and retrieve the water float! **_YOOM-TAH!_** " 

"Thank you so much, Team Tao!” Azurill suddenly seemed to be in much better spirits. After they had saved him from Drowzee, he looked up to them very highly. There was no doubt in his mind that they would be able to get the Water Float back! 

“But first…” Yin mumbled as the crowd parted, most going back to bed and the rest deciding there was no better time than now to get to work. “Luna, remember how Wigglytuff told us to tell him and Chatot if we ever had another, um… vision? Like we had with the apple? and Waterfall cave?" 

Marill’s ears perked, and he looked at the two girls. "Wait, you had another vision? Like the one that told you where Azurill was? Was it about our Water Float?" 

"No,” Yin said in response. “It happened when we shook hands with Dusknoir.”

“That ghost guy that showed up a few days ago? Mom says he used to live here, but I don’t know. He seem really scary.” Azurill commented. 

Luna bit her lip, having totally forgotten about their vision. “I remember… but do you think it could wait until we get back? I don’t want to waste any time! Someone could steal the Water Float before we get there.” Azurill’s comment caught her off guard, though. 

“Mister Dusknoir used to live here? Well, that’s surprising. Wigglytuff never said anything about that, and he didn’t say it himself… What do you make of that, Yin?" 

"Y-Yeah, but it was a long time ago.” Marill said, putting a hand on his brother’s head. “She doesn’t really know the whole story because we moved here only a few years ago. But Everyone’s talking about it in town for some reason." 

"I’m glad he doesn’t actually live in town, though.” Azurill huffed. “They say he’s got a house somewhere in the woods. I don’t think I’d like living next door to some old ghost guy!" 

"Azurill, be nice!” Marill said, though there was a bit of a grin on his face. “Anyway, you guys probably want to go get ready for your mission. Thanks again for taking care of it, Team Tao!" 

With a nod from both brothers, the two water Pokemon climbed back up the ladder and left. It was just Yin and Luna left. 

"If we really want to learn more, then it probably wouldn’t be too hard to overhear something if the whole town is talking about it.” Yin said, flicking her ears. “But we do need to get supplies. It’s an Electric-dungeon, and neither of us have any moves that are really good against that type." 

"I’m not sure if either of us can learn Ground type moves,” Luna said, looking inside their treasure bag. “And even if we can, there’s no guaranteeing the Kecleon brothers will even have one. We’ll have to be pretty careful.” She finished taking their inventory, and pulled out their small bag of gold. 

“We have lots of Oran Berries, but we could always use a few more. No telling how much damage we’ll take in there. While we’re in town, we can listen for some stories. What do you think?" 

"Sounds like a good idea,” Yin said, nodding. “I was actually thinking I could try out my Illusion ability some more… See if I can extend it to work with you, too.”  

Once the two girls had gathered their supplies from their room, they set out for Treasure Town. By the time they got there, it was a much better time for people to be up, and the town seemed a little more lively. They each said hello to whoever they happened to pass by, before stopping at the Kecleon Brothers’ store. 

“Good morning, girls!~” Green trilled, gathering the Poké of a customer who had just left. “What brings you here this early?" 

"We’re going on a special mission,” Luna told the brothers. “You know Azurill and Marill, and their missing item? Well, we’re going to go get it from Amp Plains!” She noticed the shock on the Kecleon’s face, so she continued before they could object. 

“We know it’s dangerous, but we came to you to see if you have any Ground type TMs.” Luna smiled sweetly, trying her best to dissuade the Kecleons from trying to convince them not to go. 

“Well, you’d have to ask Red about that.” Green chuckled. “He’s the one who handles all of our TMs.” He pointed to his purple older brother, who had just appeared from the back of the shop. 

“Also, we have a couple of other questions to ask you, if you have the time.” Yin added. “They’re more about gossip, though.” She bit her lip, not really wishing to distract the Kecleons from their main job. 

“What’s this I hear about Amp Plains?” Red questioned as he came from the back of the shop. He saw the exploration team, and red flags immediately went off. He knew they were competent explorers, but still… They had no place going to such a hostile dungeon!

Luna was able to convince him to sell her his TM before he could berate them for going somewhere so dangerous. When she purchased the TM Dig from him, he calmed down considerably more. 

“You know we don’t deal in gossip, Yin,” Red said primly, counting Luna’s money. “However, rumors and hearsay are another matter entirely. What is it you wish to know?" 

Green snickered a little bit at his brother’s attempt to remain professional. Everyone knew the pair were the biggest loudmouths in town. 

"Actually, it’s about Dusknoir.” Yin said simply. “Marill and Azurill had said something about how he used to live here in town a long time ago. You guys are some of the longest-living residents in this town. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?" 

"Ah….” Green’s mouth hung open as he remembered the incident from last night. Dusknoir was furious when they had told Elise about his history… But… The ghost was nowhere to be seen, so..? He looked to his brother for assistance. 

“Well…” Red glanced at his brother, asking the same question: should we? After a brief mental conversation with his brother, Red decided to tell only a little bit of the truth. It technically wouldn’t be a lie… 

“Dusknoir did live here, yes,” he started slowly, trying not to let his hesitance show. “He was an explorer of course, and he embarked on a great long journey years ago, returned briefly, and then went away again. And now he’s back from his adventures. Though we are sure he’ll be off adventuring again soon enough, ha!" 

"Yes-yes!!” Green suddenly agreed, nodding vigorously. “He was such good friends with many people here, even Wigglytuff!! He was part of this little group the kids made when they had their hearts set on becoming explorers when they grew up. It’s what inspired Wigglytuff to make the guild here! He had so many friends, he didn’t want to leave!" 

"I’d say Dusknoir himself stayed here for about… Oh, 15 years at the most? He moved here when he was still a Duskull, and–” Green stopped himself from babbling on too much. He had gotten caught up in reminiscing, one of his main problems. 

“A-Anyway, that’s really all there is to it!” He finished hastily. “Anything else is probably just rumors twisted in by everyone else.” He pathetically tried to wave the two explorers away, but they just looked more confused than ever. 

 

Luckily, before he could try and save himself, a scream of pure anger erupted into the town, making all the passerby freeze and look down the road. 

##  _**“ HOW DARE YOU TRY AND ASK ME THAT QUESTION AFTER TEN. YEARS. "** _

"Was that…” Yin started, blinking uncertainly. 

“Sounded like Chansey…” Green mumbled, doing his best to duck back into the store. He could tell who she was yelling at just by the sound of her voice.

“Should we go check things out?” Yin asked Luna. She folded her ears back as Chansey continued to yell, put off by the noise.

“I dunno if I would recommend that…” Green mumbled, but nobody bothered to listen to him.

“She… might need some calming down,” Luna said, not feeling too sure of herself. “We can at least… stop by.”

Red harrumphed. “Have fun with that, you two,” he said primly. “Don’t be surprised if you get chewed out.”

 

The two cautiously made their way down the streets, noting that several other people were staring towards Chansey’s hut. The yelling only got louder the closer they were, and by the time they reached the entrance, Yin’s were folded all the way back.

To their surprise, the pink Pokemon was actually yelling at Dusknoir. But… What would he be doing here?

“Of course I don’t know where they are!” Chansey was seething with rage. “ _ **YOU’RE**_ the one who requested I send them off somewhere!” She looked close to smacking the ghost type across the face.

“Um, Miss Chansey?” Luna spoke up, trying to smile. “Is everything alright here? We heard you yelling, and thought you might be in trouble…”

Dusknoir turned slightly to look at the girls, and was embarrassed that anyone was seeing him like this. Luna pretended not to notice.

Chansey blinked, suddenly aware she had an audience. Sometimes she got so caught up in her emotions, she didn’t notice her surroundings.

“N-Not at all, Luna dear!” She managed, trying to don a deadpan look. “Just a minor miscommunication, that’s all.”

“Didn’t sound like that…” Yin noted, finally lifting her ears up again.

Luna opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it, seeing that, perhaps, this was something they shouldn’t be messing with.

“Oh, alright. Sorry to bother you, then! Have a nice day!” Luna grabbed Yin by her paw and led her away, not wanting to get in the middle of that fracas.

 

“That was certainly odd,” Luna said. “I would have stayed longer but… Chansey’s energy was scaring me.”

“Seems like the two of them have a history.” Yin said with a shrug, suddenly throwing off her initial concerns. If it wasn’t their business, that’s the way it would go.

“Say, do you know what kind of Pokemon are in Amp Plains?”

Luna put the Chansey thing aside, and replied to Yin. "Well, obviously Electric-types, like Marill said!"

"U-Uhm, I kind of meant what species..." Yin mumbled. "Because I have an idea I wanna try out for the mission."

“Oh, what is it?” Luna put the map away, looking at Yin with enthusiasm. She loved Yin’s ideas, since they usually tended to be very creative! What a great partner she is.

Yin look flustered for a moment, not expecting Luna to take the idea up so quickly. 

“Um, well… Lately I’ve been practicing my illusions and… I think I could disguise us as some of the Pokemon in that dungeon.”

“That… that’s a great idea! The Pokemon there wouldn’t see us as intruders, and we could move safely! What Pokemon would we be disguised as?”

“Well… Given we don’t know what kinds are out there… I guess it would be safe to just do a Shinx and an Electrike. Those are pretty common.” Yin said, looking away. "But that's why I asked if you knew, in case I mess up."

Though the two Pokemon were common, there was no guarantee they would be found in that specific dungeon. But if that were the case, Yin could change the illusion after figuring out which Pokemon did live there, so Luna didn't see it as a big deal.

“Well, what are ya waiting for?” Luna prodded with a beaming smile. “Let’s try it out!”

Yin gave a small smile back, then began to concentrate. All she had to do was imagine the two of them as the right Pokemon… 

The air shimmered around the two, and small waves of energy passed through the air. The grass rustled, and falling leaves were swept in a different direction. 

Concentrate… Yin told herself. Luna and I… Are electric types…

After a few moments of silence, Yin carefully opened her eyes. Standing before her was not Luna, but a Shinx wearing Luna’s bow. Yin almost forgot this was due to her illusion, and jumped back in surprise. Apparently Luna had forgotten as well, because she let out a yelp when she laid eyes on Yin.

“It… It worked! Yin, you’re an Electrike!” The Shinx said in Luna’s voice. Yin looked at herself, finding her sleek black fur had been replaced by a short green coat.

“And you’re a Shinx.” Yin said, a little winded from the effort the illusion took. She watched as Luna finally looked at herself, marveling at her bright blue fur. 

“It’s pretty crummy, though… I don’t have enough strength to make it substantial. Things will pass right through us if we’re not careful, and if I take too much damage, the illusion will break…”

Yin blinked at Luna’s kind words, feeling a rush of warmth flood her face. Luna was always so kind… Yin didn’t know what she would do without the cheerful Cleffa by her side.

“Well… Let’s get going, then.” Yin said with a nod.

“To Amp Plains!” Luna agreed.

The two then set off down the road, looking proud and ready for whatever awaited them. They didn’t seem to be aware, however, that somebody had been listening in.

 

Dusknoir had managed to slip away from Chansey a few moments before, though not without receiving a good smack to the face. He knew asking her was risky, but… He had to know. Even if he couldn’t do anything about it. 

But when he had heard the two girls were going to Amp Plains, he didn’t feel at ease. That dungeon was very dangerous, what with all the Electric-types… And at this time of year, it would be even worse. 

“I’ve got to stop them before they get hurt.” He said to himself, taking off after Team Tao.


End file.
